Penn State-Ohio State: Three recruiting storylines to track

Undefeated Penn State will play host to Ohio State in a top-five matchup Saturday and while the game will obviously be massive in the Big Ten title race, it could also have serious recruiting implications. Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith breaks down the biggest recruiting storylines surrounding the game.

Ohio State commitment Zahir Mathis will certainly be keeping an eye on this matchup this weekend. The Buckeyes are working hard to keep him in the fold and we’ll see if coach James Franklin can move him off his commitment anytime soon.

The four-star defensive end committed to Ohio State way back in January and he’s been pretty low-key about his recruitment. Still, the prevailing thought is that this is still a two-team race between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions. Mathis recently visited Columbus for the matchup with Nebraska.

I’m sure the Penn State coaching staff would love to get him on campus this weekend as a late addition but even without him being there, his decision is a key subplot to the game.

There are multiple prospects visiting this weekend that are committed elsewhere. However there are two I want to highlight that college football fans need to know.

First, four-star Michigan tight end commit Andrew Olesh will be in town for the game. Olesh had always planned to visit some other programs but with Michigan’s up-and-down season plus Penn State being a conference foe, this is something to keep an eye on.

The other player to note is Missouri four-star QB commit Matt Zollers. The Pennsylvania native did have this to say to Rivals about the visit.

“It’s going to be a good game to watch,” Zollers said. “I’m still locked in with Mizzou.”

Still, it’ll be a big storyline to monitor because Penn State is still Involved with many 2025 quarterback options.

This weekend could be massive for Penn State laying the groundwork with 2026 prospects. An impressive showing on Saturday could be looked back on as a turning point in the recruitment for several 2026 standouts.

Four-star offensive lineman Adam Guthrie will be in attendance. He visited Texas recently and has seen his recruitment blow up this season. Four-star inside linebacker Cam Thomas has been a big name in the region and is one of the top linebackers in his class. Ohio four-star Jakob Weatherspoon could come down to a decision between Ohio State and Penn State. Rising running back Favour Akih will also be in Happy Valley.

The group of 2026 prospects coming to the game is very impressive. If the Nittany Lions have a top-10 class in 2026 it could be powered by some of the prospects on campus this weekend.

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